Today, the concept of an internet domain is something that most people are pretty familiar with. Domains like google.com, microsoft.com, and forbes.com are instantly recognizable. What all these domains have in common, of course is the “.com” at the end of their address. The .COM is usually the first stop when looking for a business online. That may be changing, though.
The rise of alternate top-level domains
I recently stumbled upon an article in Forbes that explored this idea. The article is titled Is Google Helping End The Dominence of .COM?, and it was written by Johan Moreno. In the article, Mr. Moreno notes that Google’s parent company Alphabet doesn’t use a .COM extension (or “top-level domain”) for its website. Instead its corporate website can be found at abc.xyz. Further, Google itself uses a slew of alternate top-level domains like .APP, .ANDROID, and even its own .GOOGLE.
The point is that .COM isn’t the only game in town anymore. There are dozens of different top-level domains that can be used for websites and email addresses, including some like .TAX, .ACCOUNTANT, .ACCOUNTANTS, and .CPA, that are particularly appropriate for tax preparers and accountants. But should your business use one of these new domain extensions? Well, maybe.
Choosing a new domain for your firm
If you are registering a new domain for your business, then I think you should at least consider using an alternate top-level domain, especially if your preferred domain is already taken. For example, if you are doing business as “Jones Tax Service”, you might find that jonestax.com is already taken. In this case, you might consider other variations like jonestaxservice.com or jonestaxserviceindianapolis.com, but those are pretty long. A shorter domain like jones.tax, jonestax.co, or jonestax.biz might be preferable to a longer domain that ends in .COM just because the shorter domain is more memorable.
Considerations for existing domains
For businesses with existing websites and domains, it probably isn’t worth changing to an entirely new domain. After all, you’ve spent a lot of time establishing your domain as part of your brand. You don’t want to just throw away all that effort. What you might want to consider, though, is establishing alternate domains that redirect to your existing website. For example, if you own jonestaxservice.com, you might purchase jones.tax as an alternate address so that people who visit jones.tax are automatically forwarded to jonestaxservice.com. This gives you the option to give out the shorter domain when it’s more convenient, and also protects you from competitors who might register the shorter domain and redirect visitors to their own website.
If you would like to learn more about alternate top-level domains, and their growing popularity, you can read the entire article using the link below.
ARTICLE LINK: Is Google Helping End The Dominence of .COM?
Need some help?
These alternate domain extensions aren’t for everyone. But if you are considering registering an alternate domain for your business, or if you would just like to discuss whether it makes sense in your particular case, please get in touch. I would be happy to discuss your specific circumstances and help you consider your options.